tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44256702087680483732018-03-12T02:31:49.752-07:00CinemabibliobabbleSoozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-47566078904258105622017-10-25T13:38:00.002-07:002017-10-25T13:38:31.572-07:00Back- And I'm Bringin' A Book With Me<b><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Read</span></b>: The Day The World Came To Town : 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland<br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Writer</b></span>: Jim DeFede<br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Dealio</b></span>: This is a non-fiction accounting of an experience which was totally unknown to me before I was introduced to this book. But, now that this gap has been filled, I can't seem to stop recommending this read 'em.<br />Thirty-eight airliners, with a total of 6,000 souls on board,&nbsp; bound for the US on 9/11, were forced, by a series of circumstances, to land in Gander, Newfie.<br />Although this certainly imposed a gigantic burden on the tiny island, all were met with open arms, a warm welcome and enormous goodwill.<br />For four days, the peeps of Gander arranged shelter, food, even care for animals also detoured due to the attacks in the US.&nbsp; Religious services were held, access to phones, emails and televisions were generously provided through the local school (although, initially,&nbsp; carefully managed, due to fears the 'visitors' would become overwhelmed by the wall-to-wall, graphic&nbsp; coverage on network TV). <br />Bus drivers came off strike to help ferry people to stores- where, typically their money was refused. For many, this was the beginning off unusual, but long-term friendships. Many have returned to Gander to check in with or vacations with their 9/11 hosts.<br />The 'visitors' responded by establishing a scholarship fund for the children of Gander, helping to provide computers and other needs in thanksgiving. How much do I love <b>this!</b><br /><br /><b>The Grading Sesh </b>: 4.999 pengies out of 5. As always, your mileage may differ.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lessons Learned</b></span>: With all the discussion, re-discussion, blame, fear, anger and anxiety surrounding 9/11, why did I never hear about the one thing that would have been balm to my broken heart and wounded soul after the tragic events of that day- and&nbsp; all the days that immediately followed, piling on, as it were? So now that I know, what lessons have I learned? That, in times of extreme tragedy and devastation, it is essential that we look for ways to help, to heal and to reach out to our fellow peeps. And not only in such extreme cases of need. It's, like, our duty, our privilege and a great antidote for the hate and divisiveness- which we have a-plenty. We don't need any (ANY!) more of that.&nbsp; How about, as the song goes, we 'try a little tenderness', see how that works.<br /><br /><b></b><b></b><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-54512141151438355322013-06-10T16:38:00.002-07:002013-06-10T16:38:30.880-07:00Cinema Babble: Abra-cadabra, baby<span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Now You See Me</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Four street-magicians receive an offer they can't refuse: go into training with a mysterious (as in, they never meet the person) benefactor, who is grooming them to take on Vegas, baby! Each has a specialty and a past. Each is longing for the big time. But what is really behind all the magic? As world famous debunker and ex-magician, Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman) puts it 'Look closely, because the closer you look, the less you see.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.79 pengies out of 5. The laws of physics simply do not apply within the confines of this flick. And, as long as you are cool with that, you won't find&nbsp;any &nbsp;flaws in this movie. The special effects awe and make you scratch your head. Isn't that what magic is supposed to do? But, in the end,&nbsp;perhaps it is&nbsp;best to look at this- literally- as&nbsp;&nbsp;a caper-movie, dressed up with amazing segues and frustratingly inexplicable change-ups. I, myself, adore a good caper film, and this one dovetails nicely with my current library of faves. The cast plays to their individual strengths- no one does all-knowing and mysterious better than Freeman, or slow-burn, skeptical Everyman better than Ruffalo. But each gets to chip in their unique spin on their role, and that makes it a treat to the eyes <em>and</em> the funny bone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Oh, you mean, aside from the Freemanism above? Well, how about this coat-tail rider: what you see is not <em>necessarily</em> what you&nbsp; get. Then this: time does nothing to erase the desire for payback. On the contrary, it tends to whet the appetite even more with the passing of time, adding little tiddly-pums and curlyques...which the paid-back will definitely <em>not</em> enjoy.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-628096353606415302013-05-27T14:46:00.002-07:002013-05-27T14:46:57.505-07:00Biblio Babble: Very...Out There...But Intriguing<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Read:</strong> What The Family Needed</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Steven Amsterdam</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Initially, it is really hard to say <em>what</em> the dealio is here. We are introduced to an extended family. One part: comprised of mom, Ruth, (AKA Queen of Drama), her daughter Giordana and son Ben. The other half is made up of Natalie and Peter, (the 'rents) and Sasha and Alek, their sons. From the first moment this family is reunited, it is clear that turbulent waters surround each and every member. Alek is the most obviously...untypical. His first question, upon reuniting with his cousins is, 'OK, if you could have one super power, would it be flying or invisibility?' The cuzzes go along with it. And that's apparently that. Until Giordana finds herself able to render herself invisible. Over time, all sorts of powers appear and are developed, custom-chosen for each recipient. Just when they are most needed.&nbsp;Do they then run&nbsp;around, using their new powers to fight crime and right wrongs? Nope. OK, well, Ben <em>does</em> try, but with no satisfactory results. But what they <em>do</em> get is exactly what each needs most.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.12 pengies out of 5. Heavily downgraded from 5 pengies solely because the sudden transitions in time, character and place are diffcult to follow. Part of that, no doubt, has to do with the fact that I did not <em>read</em> read this novel, but listened to it on MP3, which tends to cut off portions of lead-off words. But, in the home stretch, everything begins to fall into place, and a sweet sort of sighing acceptance as all the wonder settles in for a stay that lasts until the last words.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Sometimes people are heavily medicated into pathology. Not through any malice aforethought, but simply because the peeps responsible just do not know what else to do. Also this: a gift is given with the hope that it is used, developed and employed wisely. Try to remember this- especially around the holidays. Lastly this, as my brother Gregg once said, 'Family is everything.' Thanks, Gregg, for the reminder.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-39526357371237743262013-05-27T14:26:00.002-07:002013-05-27T14:26:50.852-07:00Cinema Babble: Absolutely Stunning Art<span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Epic</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Voice Talent:</strong> Colin Farrell, Christoph Waltz, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Jason Sudeikis, Chris O'Dowd, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Beyonce Knowles, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Based on a book by William Joyce (and, OBTW, I am an absolute sucker for both the art and the storyline of this writer's entire catalogue of works) <em>The Leaf Men and The Brave, Good&nbsp;Bugs</em>. This is the story of a girl, MK,&nbsp;who, upon the death of her mother, returns to the middle of nowhere, where her estranged dad lives alone and -in full mad scientist mode- spends his time exploring the microscopic life of the adjacent forest. To the exclusion of all else, may it be said. Her arrival makes a barely perceptable ripple in his existence, although he has thoughtfully made plans for MK to join him in his hunt for the wee creatures who inhabit the countryside. When a weird quirk of fate reduces MK to the size of the aforementioned creatures, she finds herself equal parts Dorothy in Oz and Amelia Earhart. And she- and her dad- are forced to experience the pain and loss of ignoring one world for another.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.919 pengies out of 5. This film is simply one of the most beautifully-executed ever. No detail is too tiny to be fine-tuned. No expression or transition is left to just happen. And the storyline is an important one, too. Alternately, Dad is frustrated by the daughter's skepticism: 'Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.' Daughter, in turn,&nbsp; is discouraged and saddened by her father's focus on the minuscule creatures of the forest, when she, mourning the loss of her mother, just wants to find her pain eased and be comforted: 'I am right here, Dad! Right here!' Both have much to learn, as do the small ones. Especially the small ones.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Ooooh, here's a goodie: 'We are like leaves on a tree: each individual, but all part of the same creation.'&nbsp; Another one I liked is this: just because you are a slug does not mean you can not act like a Leaf Man. And, lastly this: there is beauty to be found wherever we look...if we only <em>look</em>.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-564169593759309212013-05-19T17:33:00.001-07:002013-05-19T17:33:37.151-07:00Cinema Babble: Whoa!<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Star Trek: Into Darkness</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto,&nbsp; Zoe Soldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, etc, etc (etc).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Starting right off with a bang, Kirk and (extremely unintentionally), Spock, violate the primary directive during what is supposed to be just a fact-finding mission. Thus begins a nearly unstoppable action-packed sequel to the <em>Star Trek</em> reboot. Authentic to the brand, with all the gates and touchstones that make Star Trek a legend, even among- or maybe especially among?- those who never saw the TV original, <em>STID</em> flings itself headlong into a perilous and misbegotten series of adventures. Once again, Klingons figure as the main baddies, but there is much more going on here than that. The&nbsp; addition of Cumerbatch as Khan ratchets up the intensity- but also the involvement of the audience- as he slings himself around the universe, seemingly super-powered and indestructible. A scene where Kirk punches him is classic: both amusing and horrifying at the same time. Everyone has his/her chance to sell it, and most do a really great job. Underutilised is Soldana's Uhuru, though and I do wish that Urban got to do more than offer the occasional snarky punchline. But, I quibble. This is a good and faithful, referential and respectable addition to the <em>Star Trek</em> canon.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.871 pengies out of 5, for the above-mentioned reasons. And, yes, I am looking forward to others in the line-up. As always, your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> If a character walks, talks and acts like a duck, then that person, most def, is a baddie. Um, duck. And, then, too, even Vulcans can make, break and save friends and friendships. It just doesn't look like what we are used to seeing in these instances. Lastly this: what would you do, if you&nbsp;could &nbsp;put yourself into the place of your friend, and act as he or she would have acted in the same circumstances? I am dizzy just thinking about thinking about this! But the results might be really epic. Discuss amongst yourselves.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-80755346488139969142013-04-28T17:40:00.000-07:002013-04-28T17:40:01.276-07:00Cinema Babble: If you only see one movie about the fall of the White House...<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Olympus Has Fallen</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Ricvk Yune, Dylan McDermott, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> The White House is taken over and the President is being held captive, while things go from bad to worse throughout the greater DC metroplex. With absolutely no one able &nbsp;to affect a rescue and with fear and hopeless ruling the day, disgraced former Secret Service agent, Mike Banning (Butler), finds himself the only surviving member of the team to actually be on-site. Driven by the twin demons of failure&nbsp;earlier in the administration, and the desire to save both the President and the country he loves,&nbsp;Banning becomes a one-man spoiler, the monkey in the wrench, the fly in the ointment- as another pain in the butt cinematic law officer once said. Along the way, there are many&nbsp;eye-rolling moments, but also some&nbsp;grippingly tense and engaging ones, too. So, why, do you suppose we need&nbsp;<em>other</em> similar&nbsp;flicks (Summer's <em>White House Down</em> and&nbsp;the now-playing and also available at Walmart&nbsp;mention <em>GI Joe: Retaliation</em>- which we also saw)? Clearly...we don't. So, pick, but choose wisely, because those are two hours you will never get back.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Beware the disgruntled former employee, for therein lies the concealed serpent's tooth, which will surely strike when least expected. Also this, learning a subject inside out, upside down and backwards- as we were taught in elementary school- actually <em>can</em> come in handy. You just never know when. Lastly this: if someone is torturing you to learn something you are reluctant to give up, but you think you will survive if you do, just let them kill you outright, 'cause that's how this is always going to end. Always.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-8630908677966678852013-04-28T17:18:00.001-07:002013-04-28T17:18:32.096-07:00Biblio Babble: The Best Book I Ever HEARD<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The 'Read':</strong> The Elegance of the Hedgehog</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Muriel Barbery</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Have you ever heard any book described as a 'coming of age book'? And has that ever referred not only to&nbsp;a 12 year old, but also, and even more movingly, about a 54 year old? May I present The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I came to this book through one called <em>The End of Your Life Book Club</em>, a non-fiction work by Will Schwalbe. And, for reasons I can not now recall, I elected to give this a go as an audiobook. REALLY the best decision, where this book is concerned, because the spoken words, in the talented hands (er, voices) of Cassandra Morris and Barbara Rosenblat was a things of such incredible beauty, humor and intensity, that I am not at all sure just the written word would have had the impact on me that listening in definitely did. OBTW, this was made into a movie in 2011. Which I intwend to investigate pronto. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">The story is, on the surface, that of two wildly disparate residents of 7 rue de Grenelle, both of whom are harboring secrets. Twelve year old Paloma Josse is a brilliant, precocious, inwardly rebellious girl who is planning to kill herself on her 13th birthday because life seems to have no meaning. The 54 year old Renee Michelle is the concierge at number 7, and proudly covers her sharp, philosophical agile mind (she is a proud 'auto-didact') behind the very conventions of her job: dull, fat, ugly, plump, stereotypical &nbsp;and uninspired. Through the course of this beguiling tale- interspersed with <em>reams</em> of philosophy, which can tend to pinch and pluck at the story's progress- we come to find out that these two actually have much in common. Much more&nbsp;than they- or anyone else in the building- could ever believe. But it is the arrival of the mysterious M. Ozu which suddenly throws electricity into the mix&nbsp;prompting all sorts of changes and revelations&nbsp;all sorts of revelations. Barbery is <em>such</em> a beautiful writer, with some great elegance of her own in her graceful and sumptuously delicious &nbsp;turns of phrase. It was such a treat to listen to her moving and amusing plot lines spool out as the miles whipped by while I drove from locale to locale, that I often found myself&nbsp; idling in the driveway or parking lot just&nbsp; to 'finish up' a chapter before going inside.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.997 pengies out of 5. It would have been more, but for the lengthy discourses on philosophical schools of thought that tended to slow the story down a bit. However, I was both unwilling and unready to let this story end.&nbsp; It was exactly that addictive.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Um, you can't judge a book by its cover? How about this, then: it is both unfair and silly to assume you know everything about a person based upon their job or their appearance. Also this: there is much joy in the simplest of things:home-made &nbsp;madeleines, Japanese films, a cat who listens to you pour out your heart and soul, then goes back to ignoring you once the crisis is past. Lastly this: I simply love it when one book nudges me in the direction of another. Or others! True lagniappe!</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-91247070539412322572013-04-21T17:58:00.003-07:002013-04-21T17:58:56.357-07:00Cinema Babble: Opening some doors for others...at a cost<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> 42</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford,&nbsp; T. R. Knight, Nicole Beharie, Christopher &nbsp;Meloni, Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk, John McGinley, Max Gail, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong>&nbsp;Branch Rickey (Ford) decides to deliberately integrate the Brooklyn Dodgers. After 'scouting' numerous candidates from the&nbsp; Negro League, &nbsp;his attention settles on Jackie Robinson. But this is more than an interesting historical film, or an&nbsp; involving sports story. This is a chance to slide a not-so-distant event under the microscope and, just maybe, learn how far we have come...or not come. At times, undeniably sugar-coated and anachronistic, the movie has a great heart and some absolutely splendid acting- not least of which came from a person I had never heard of before: Chadwick Boseman (Jackie). An admitted baseball nut in my youth, I recognised so many of the names, and it was&nbsp;fascinating to see them on the screen: living, breathing, scrapping,&nbsp;standing tall,&nbsp;&nbsp;even being just plain wrong-headed. But, this time, seen without the accepting veil&nbsp;of childhood observations.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.73 pengies out of 5. Is this a perfect movie? Well, I can't think of a single example of that. But, this I do know: here is a film well worth seeing, whether you <em>love</em>&nbsp;America's Sport or break out in hives at the thought of enduring another season under the sun. There is so <em>much</em> to &nbsp;this story, so many people who played a part- positively or negatively- into making, not just sports, but America, what it is today. Go see this one and learn from it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Sometimes valor lies in not fighting injustice with&nbsp;force and &nbsp;fists, but with honorable behavior and great strength of character&nbsp;that shames your adversaries by comparison. Also this: if you have achieved much, it is absolutely vital that you pay it forward. Lastly this: if you do something right, but for the wrong reasons, does it count? What do you think?</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-63350384650289483842013-02-17T15:05:00.001-08:002013-02-17T15:05:18.757-08:00Cinema Babble: Would That That Were True<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> A Good Day To Die Hard</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Radivoje Bukvic, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Ol' bull-in-the-china-shop, John McClane is in Russia to rescue his son, Jack, from&nbsp; going to a Russian jail- or worse. Turns out, Jack is not just a troublemaker gone wild, but a highly trained (um, yeah), CIA operative on a sensitive mission to prevent nuclear terrorism. Let me make this brief: in less than one day- a day, moreover, without sleep, eats or potty breaks- the two McClanes are involved in three separate rollovers, shot at, fall through about 25 ceilings, get a chunk of rebar stuck through the side, are beaten ferociously on the melon with the butt of a rifle, are kicked in the head and chest repeatedly, then exposed to radiation at Chernoble. And, by the end of that particular day, come out of it with one small bandage on the arm for Papa and one scratch and a wince-y walk for Junior.&nbsp; I don't know about you, but for me, any one of the above would have been enough to put me out of action for the forseeable future. And that includes the 'no potty breaks' part. Really.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 1.42 pengies out of 5. I think the world of John McClane, but, next time, can we ease up on the&nbsp; ordinance expenditures and plow back a taddy bit of that into plot and character development. As my mom would say, 'Really, I am so disappointed in you.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Not all <em>Die Hards</em> are created equal. And finally,&nbsp; when the source material has so much in the way of zippy, zingy smarty pants repartee, the lack of same &nbsp;in a retread is just. too. painful. by comparison.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-752563820740697902013-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:002013-02-17T14:47:10.667-08:00Biblio Babble: If Flowers Could Speak, What Would They Say<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Read: </strong>The Language of Flowers</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Vanessa Diffenbaugh</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> In tightly laced Victorian times, lovers conveyed sentiments to each other through the secret language of flowers. In this book, orphaned Victoria Jones, who really could not possibly care less about, well, anything, learns that there is much to learn, to enjoy, to love and to celebrate using the language of flowers to express herself. As Victoria grows from a bristly 10 year old into a fully grown, cynical, but very naive adult, she finally finds her voice, and her way, through flowers. If this sounds a little sappy to you, keep in mind that all is not sugared violets for Victoria, and along the way to understanding what her life is all about, she makes enough missteps to lose her way completely. But, oh, the lovely language of flowers. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.91 pengies out of 5. This book really made a connection for me between the work I was doing with aromatherapy, and the hidden, secret and highly debatable language of flowers. I loved watching Victoria learn how to say what was on her mind...but, more, I loved the way she used her gift to reach out to others. Even when she is asking her foster mom, 'What is the flower for hate?!' she comes across as a tough little cookie with a very soft and delicate heart. This book launched me onto a total immersion course about flowers and their meanings. Such fun! I still chuckle when people make a revealing flower choice. But, indulgently, not meanly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> So easy, really: Make sure of what your desired message is before you try to bring it off with a floral offering. Lastly this: I am always amazed by how reading one very involving book can lead me into a veritable forest of similar reading, research and revelation. Yum.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-81625957346106943112013-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:002013-02-17T14:30:01.816-08:00<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Django Unchained</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Foxx's Django, literally in a chain gang, is liberated, then recruited, by German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) to help him ID, then kill, two miscreant overseers. Along the way, a deal is struck&nbsp; whereby Django wins Schultz's training, expertise and entree into sophisticated plantation society, in order to rescue the ex-slave's wife (Washington). Much blood-splatter, excruciating 'slave-violence' and rewriting of history occurs. This is how you know you are seated in a Tarantino movie. At almost 3 hours, this is far too long an indulgence, but the story is a good one, well worth the telling and heavy on the attention-grabbing characters (DiCaprio's rotten-toothed and even more rotten moralled Calvin Candie and the always-watchable Jackson's creepy Stephen among the standouts). Still can't help but feel that everyone is afraid to tell Tarantino to edit down a smidge. Saw at least 3 places where we could have ended without any significant loss of payoff and ah-HAA! moments.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.891 pengies out of 5. It's the editing, primarily which lost the smidgen of a pengie. Soundtrack was typically eclectic, semi-inspired Tarantino. Always picture him browsing through his music folio, and behaving like a French chef in the marketplace, selecting whatever is fresh, promising and just a little...twisty to pique the palate...and the ear. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Stop me if you have heard this before: do not bring your 2 year old to a Tarantino movie. You may think they don't get it...you would be wrong. Next this: is there ever a role which Waltz does not savor like&nbsp; fine wine or outstanding culinary masterpiece? It is amazing to watch him work: the tiny nuance, the small expressions changing, the timing! Lastly this: why are the rotters in a film worse shots than the Imperial Storm Troopers? Answer: because it is their lot in films to be so. </span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-54563897712799304972013-01-01T18:04:00.000-08:002013-01-01T18:04:04.008-08:00Cinema Babble: I Dreamed A Dream Of Singing For 3 hours<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Les Miserables</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Hugh Jackman (again), Ann Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Sascha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> This is the story of&nbsp; prisoner Jean Valjean (Jackman) whom we meet on the eve of winning his parole. After serving 20 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;For stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's sick child. Falling repeatedly under the eye of his guard, the tenacious Inspector Javert (Crowe),&nbsp; Valjean realises, early on, that Javert is simply waiting for him to violate parole. And eagerly anticipating his return&nbsp;to &nbsp;Javert's relentless rule. Set against&nbsp; post-revolutionary France, riddled with poverty, corruption, disrespect for human life&nbsp;and the unrest of the underclasses against what is perceived (and for a reason) as&nbsp; the squandering of France's finances by the rich, entitled&nbsp;and idle. This story takes us through the many reversals of fortune&nbsp; of the characters- including the&nbsp; hapless Fantine, Valjean and even Javert. In almost every instance, the fickleness of their fates&nbsp; depends on the tiniest of details. So frustrating.&nbsp; </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.72 pengies out of 5. A lot has been written about how horrible Crowe's voice is- which I found to be an exaggeration. His voice was fine.&nbsp;But was&nbsp;a bit dismayed by how good Jackman's voice...wasn't. I've grown to expect more, but perhaps, he was remaining in character, and one can not expect a starving, exhausted prisoner to belt 'em out like Ethel Merman (there's a picture for ya). I also did not cry when Hathaway sang 'I Dreamed A Dream'...although, maybe I shouldn't admit that. I loved the confluence of voices tracking through their separate strands of thought and lyrics. I also felt that Hooper did a magnificent job of keeping all the balls in the sweeping tale, in the air at the same time. Not easy. I confess to growing weary of Bonham Carter's repetitious portrayal of the blowzy, slovenly, weirded out, tarted up harridan. Seen it a time or two too often for me not to feel this is a default setting for her. And finally, I did mow through a half-packet of tissues in the last 20 minutes of the flick. So sue me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Nothing says Les Miz for me like a 15 minute refreshment break in the lobby. Look into it. Next this: if you are looking for a flick where almost every word is NOT sung, but still featuring a strong cast and the same story, you want the Liam Neeson version out a few years back, and available for streaming even as we speak. Lastly this: this is art. It is best to just let it wash over you...and not make such a big noise about Russell Crowe's headgear. It's not as though he picked it out himself, after all. Just let it go.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-76412957057512788602013-01-01T17:36:00.001-08:002013-01-01T17:36:27.073-08:00Cinema (and a little Biblio) Babble: When Myths Unite<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Rise of the Guardians</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> (voice talent) Alec </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Baldwin, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, etc, etc. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Law's smoothly shiver-inducing Pitch threatens the dreams of children everywhere&nbsp;by unleashing war on the mythological Guardians of Childhood: Baldwin's Chris North (AKA Santa), Fisher's Tooth Fairy, Jackman's E. Aster Bunny, and Pine's Jack Frost. The idea here is to make kids stop believing in these characters, causing them to lose their powers to protect children from nightmares. One of the most evocative characterisations, though, is Sandy (the Sandman), who does not utter a single word, but wields enormous power and has true presence in&nbsp;unfolding of this&nbsp;tale. Now, for the Biblio Babble: This film is based on a series of books I absolutely love. Created by William Joyce (if you want to hear the truly touching backstory, drop me a comment and I will provide). The artwork is so gorgeous, that I have bought about four of these and am itching to give them away to someone with kids who would really appreciate such&nbsp; books. The artwork is stunning and the Hubs and I have poured over them several times, totally immersed in the world of finely wrought deets which Joyce has created. Now, here's some good news: in the Spring, a second Guardians-related flick- <em>Epic</em>- will come out and the book from which it springs is, I feel, the most beautiful of the ones we have. Can I get a YAY!?.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Sessions:</strong> 4.98 pengies out of 5. Could have done more with the music. <em>Should</em> have done more with the music. However, the art-effects were so spectacular, I feel the film-makers did justice to Joyce's work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong>&nbsp;Wonderful movies &nbsp;<em>can</em> be made from a children's book. Not easily, but can be done with care and intent. Lastly this: as long as someone believes in you, anything is possible, and you do become more powerful. Try it.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-67646128618670063842012-11-25T18:11:00.001-08:002012-11-25T18:11:13.124-08:00Cinema Babble:ba-da daDa, duh daDa! Bond, back.<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Skyfall</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Albert Finney, Naomie Harris, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Craig's Bond is back,&nbsp;and so are a raft of nods to Bond's 50 years in Her Majesty's Secret Service. From the intro, complete with Adele's soaring song, the pyrotechnics-laden opening shot, &nbsp;trad touches abound. This time out, Bond is killed before we even get through the credits. No spoiler here, you know that would make a heckuva short movie. Besides, it's in all the trailers. When his country and MI-5 need him the most, there ya go, he is back in the game- not shaken, but definitely stirred to action. In a cat-and-mouse game of terrorism on the home turf, M and Bond are not sure who-if anyone-can be trusted. Public outcry demands M step down and her boss (Fiennes' Mallory) is willing to give in to the demands. Of course, you just know she ain't gonna just go quietly. Reluctant though she is to pin all her hopes on the recently resurrected agent, you know that, in the end, M will call on Bond to take a quiet hand&nbsp; in sorting this mess out. Into the mix comes the uneasy feeling that the perp (or perps) either have extensive insider knowledge and expertise- or actually <em>are</em> insiders at MI-5. Well? Which is it? The next two-thirds of the flick spool out spinning us back and forth, around the globe, with barely a moment to catch our breath(s). Car chases, bike chases, foot chases and, natch, a plethora of uniquely choreographed devises, plots and plans (No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die...slowly and tortuously, over the next 48 hours) have us alternately rolling our eyes and hitching forward in our seats. And what's up with Bardem's Silva's weird hair. Does Bardem have a fierce attraction to roles requiring&nbsp; odd-ball rugs?&nbsp; We also get a glimpse of Bond's back story and finally figure out the meaning of this film's title. Not bad for a single day's viewing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.87 pengies out of 5. The pic did go on a taddy bit too long. So, again, editing is king. But the casting remains spot-on, the ol' 007 we have come to know and love is back and, even though the spy world is rife with change, as many would say: change is good. Here, it is jolly good, indeed. Already looking forward to more Bond gigs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> The bad guys, despite all the advanced weaponry at their disposal, still shoot like Imperial Storm Troopers. When will they ever learn that the firing range is free and open seven days a week? Practice, dudes. Practice. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Also this: Reason #5,004 why I would make a lousy secret agent: I simply can not countenance having a gun battle slash chase across the 2000th floor of a Hong Kong high rise. Or any other 2000th floor highrise, for that matter. Can't these folks <em>ever</em> just duke it out at street level?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lastly this: it is damned near impossible to keep a great 007 down. There. I've said it. Your mileage may vary.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notable Quotables: Gareth Mallory to M: Eleanor, be sensible. Retire with dignity... </span><br /><br /><br />M: Dignity! To Hell with dignity! I'll retire when my goddamn job is finally done. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-48638665794053238972012-11-22T17:19:00.001-08:002012-11-22T17:19:15.787-08:00Cinema Babble: A Unique View of a Familiar Man<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The </strong></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Flick:</strong> Lincoln</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Jackie Earle Haley, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Gloria Reuben, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> The year is 1865, and the Civil War has worn and beggared and exhausted both sides. That means that peace overtures will soon be headed to Washington City. But, before he entertains any proposal that would return the South to the flock, Lincoln realises that he's gotta work fast to get an emancipation amendment through and into the constitution. With that urgency on the table, and time running out, Lincoln must do what he can to make this happen: mollify, modify, improvise, charm, hector, invoke the wartime powers he is not entire sure he possesses, and, yep, even buy the votes he needs. This is not&nbsp;the &nbsp;Lincoln we are used to seeing: aloof and staid, quiet and self-effacing. Almost a saint. What we get here is a Lincoln,&nbsp;though&nbsp;still folksy, humble, quaint and compassionate, is also passionate,&nbsp; unyielding and, if needed, severe.&nbsp; And, as time dribbles away, we find ourselves hoping that he does, somehow, prevail (while knowing that, of course,&nbsp;he does) and that, somehow, that he will wind up being far too busy or involved in affairs of state&nbsp;to go to Ford's Theatre. It says a great deal for a movie that moves you along familiar paths, but surprises you by a totally unpredictable detour. This film takes you on exactly such a journey.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.991 pengies out of 5. Spielberg does not disappoint. Marvellously cast- down to the tiniest role, beautifully crafted and written, it is at times unnerving to see what uncanny images Day-Lewis evokes both in looks and speech, as he pulls us along with him in his frustration, grief, humor and empathy. But, Field's Mary also shines, as a woman torn between overwhelming grief and overwhelming love. No one dimensional cut-out, she is a living, breathing, spiteful, cautious, concerned and fully human participant. This is a masterful movie. And not just in the grand, sweeping scenes. Even the smallest, throwaway pieces are precious and attentive to detail, evoking shivers and nods of recognition. One scene has a very tired Lincoln, sitting&nbsp; in a chair, his arms extended along the chair's arms, his fingers bent and held in the exact pose as the seated Lincoln&nbsp; of his famous Mall memorial. Now, that's attention to detail. I can see I will have to go see this movie again. Then get the DVD. The Elite Edition...of course.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Just when you think you know everything about a famous person, you quickly learn that you have no idea of the demons and challenges that drove and tortured them. Too, if you were expecting to see a beatification of the man, you would be disappointed: Lincoln was a real hero, but hardly a saint. As he would be the first to admit. Lastly, this: if we can not learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Let's never repeat this type of war again. Ever.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Noteable Quotables:</strong> (Thaddeus Stevens, in response to a knoock on his door): 'It opens!'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">(Lincoln to his cabinet, advisors and others in the telegraph office): 'I suppose it's time to go...but I'd rather stay.'</span><br /><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-61421877781030610632012-10-14T17:42:00.002-07:002012-10-14T17:42:23.364-07:00Biblio Babble: Shades of a YA Lisbeth Salander<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Book:</strong> Don't Turn Around</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Michelle Gagnon</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio</strong>: Sixteen year old Noa wakes up strapped to an operating table, IVs running, and a powerful pain in her chest. Looking around, she discovers she is not in a hospital, clinic or doctor's office. She appears to be in a warehouse. She can remember nothing after leaving the metro in Boston, and is suddenly seized by a feeling that she is in very grave peril. Tearing loose from the table and sprinting for an exit, she is immediately surrounded by guys in black. With guns. A spectacular chase ensues, and, realising she can not head to her place, Noa heads for the hills, toting her faithful laptop,&nbsp;setting &nbsp;out to reconstruct the time that was erased from her memory, figure out what has happened to her and locate a safe bolthole. Obviously, the first thing she is going to do- when she finds a spare minute- is to check things out on the internet where, as a hacker supreme, she aims &nbsp;to get to the bottom of this hair-raising adventure. Along the way, she will meet&nbsp;Peter, the &nbsp;young&nbsp;&nbsp; proprietor of a hacking alliance dedicated to 'bringing down the mighty bad guys.' Well, Noa has a few who could use just such an intervention.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.78 pengies out of 5. OK, this is a YA novel, but I found it immediately absorbing, intricately plotted and filled with that dystopian dread which has no real name or identity. Which makes it all the more threatening. The supporting cast is eclectic, but interesting (Peter's girlfriend is a bit of a drip, however), and the thought that this is the first in a series intrigues me. Your mileage may differ, natch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> When someone emails you 'Get out. Now.' and doesn't use slammers (!!!)...do what the message says. Also this: has the comment, 'Who's going to make me?' ever had a good answer? Or even one that didn't involve the letting of blood? So, drop it. Now. Lastly this: if someone is trying to get into a dorm and is using crutches and making frustrated noises, remember Ted Bundy, and call security to help the poor, locked-out person. If s/he is truly innocent, security can help. If s/he is a perp, this will give you the chance to get away clean, while the security guard dukes it out. Which is what security is paid to do, no?</span><br /><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-49499918760237421062012-10-14T17:21:00.001-07:002012-10-14T17:21:25.703-07:00Cinema Babble: Aca-pretty okay movie<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Pitch Perfect</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Meet the Barden College Bellas, an all-female a cappella group poised on the brink of either resounding greatness or total flopatude. Beca (Kendrick) is the daughter of a Barden prof.&nbsp;&nbsp;She dreams of being a DJ, and is only going through the motions at school as part of a deal with Dad. If she gives an honest effort, he will bankroll her LA dreams. Wilson's self-titled 'Fat Amy' is a Tasmanian wonder who is fearless, funny and really not at all into cardio. A motley group of misfits and wannabes make up this oddball group, trying, straining, paining for the big time..but, ultimately, not at all convinced that they are ever going to make it.The Bellas face some stiff competition with the Barden&nbsp; all-male acappella group, headed by the self-absorbed and cruel-humored Bumper. It is only once the Bellas accept the idea of moving away from the traditional routines and numbers they have retooled and refined until they have absolutely no flavor or texture whatsoever, that they begin to make waves, better music - and gain some fame in the pursuit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.35 pengies out of 5. You know they're gonna get dinged for one too many barf scenes dwelled upon in glorious detail. But this is a fun, bouncy, engaging- if flyweight late summer flick. The new twist on the music is terrific, the singing, likewise and, of course, there is a lovely moral at the end of the story. Your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong>&nbsp; There truly is nothing like an old-fashioned father-daughter chat to warm the cockles of the heart...unless it is a nice, old father-son chat.&nbsp; Too, you truly can <em>not</em> judge a book by its cover. (Yep, Lilly, I am looking right at you). Lastly this: always check the gas gauge, even after a 'fill up'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Notable Quotables:</strong> Anything from Lilly. Examples: 'I have lungs like fish gills' and 'I ate my twin in utero' and ' I just spent three months in county for arson.' All pronounced with a voice slightly, but only slightly, louder than a&nbsp; star-fish's &nbsp;voice.&nbsp;What?&nbsp;&nbsp;You never heard a star fish? What'd I tell ya?</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-81261457161792619092012-10-14T16:52:00.003-07:002012-10-14T16:53:32.184-07:00CinemaBabble: Just like fiction. But it's not. Mostly.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Argo</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Kyle</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chandler, Tate Donovan</span>, etc, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Behind the scenes of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979, something is afoot: a plan to spirit six American embassy workers, who are seeking refuge in the Canadian Embassy, <em>out</em>. Based-with embroidery, I am sure- upon the story of one EXFIL (exfiltration expert), Tony Mendez, this story tells how it really went down. Mostly. An unusual blend of humor, snarkiness, almost unbearable tension and high drama, <em>Argo</em> is a nearly perfect concoction that just will not let you remain uninvolved. Even though the events unspooled over 30 years ago, there is a timeliness, a depressing familiarity, &nbsp;about the entire tale. You know how you <em>want</em> it to turn out, you know how it <em>did</em> turn out and yet, all still seems brand new and immediate, with everything&nbsp;&nbsp; hinging &nbsp;on a nuance or chance event. This is what makes it such good film-making. That, and, of course, &nbsp;Alan Arkin.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.998 pengies out of 5. A scintilla of a pengie off for a needlessly draggy mid-section. The casting, however, was spot-on and clearly, a great deal of effort was made to keep the portrayals as close to the originals as possible. Also, that creeping sense of fear, contagious panic, tension and horror was as real as if watching a news report. As always, your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> There is literally no such thing as a bad idea in intelligence. Or, apparently, an unintelligent one (Bikes? In winter? Across the mountains? Really.). Then this: no matter what people tell you, you <em>can</em> get a movie package together in less than a week. You just need to have it&nbsp; underwritten by the CIA. Or the State Department. Or, well, you get the picture. l</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lastly this:There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Notable Quotables:</strong>&nbsp; A toast, a reply, a theme: 'Argo Eff Yourself!'</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-74510528148557293842012-09-23T18:07:00.000-07:002012-09-23T18:07:26.735-07:00Cinema Babble: The Anti-Moneyball<span style="font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Trouble With The Curve</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Widower Gus is an old-fashioned baseball scout with a great track-record on 'finds' and failing eyesight. His track-record with his daughter- indeed with all those who care about him- is decidedly less successful. Mickey, his daughter, now a power attorney with a large Atlanta firm, is angling for a partnership, trying desperately to avoid committing to a significant other and struggling with her prickly relationship with the dad she adores, but doesn't really 'get'. Rubber-hits-the-road time (literally) poses an interesting dilemma for father and daughter: there is a mega-huge prospect down&nbsp; North Carolina way, and Gus wants to check him out in person. And&nbsp; eyesight is only one of the problems Gus has to face: at work, with only three months left on his contract, the man who vowed never to retired is being marginalised by a younger, computer-driven up-and-comer, (Lillard's snotty, sneaky and condescending Phillip), who just wants to seal the deal from the front office and divest the team of the traditional scouts. The adventures start, not only for Gus and Mickey, but also for Johnny 'The Flame' Flanagan, an ex-pitcher scouted by Gus and now looking for a way into the broadcast booth in Boston. Who happens to be scouting the same prospect. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.82 pengies out of 5. I am a total fool for sports movies with a multigenerational thorny problem to figure out and a chance to balance the scales. Therefore, when you add Eastwood- always interesting to watch, Adams, a fine and feisty Mickey, wearing her tender heart on her sleeve and a certain tentative proud/angst-filled attitude towards her gruff, but overwhelmed father, plus the always up-for-it Timberlake to the mix: ta-DAH! It's a decent way to spend a hot afternoon. The middle third dragged a tiny bit, when we we in perilous danger of going real-time with the scouting. Then, at one point, my date leaned in and asked, 'Are we starting another movie here?' But, after about 20-30 minutes of meandering, we course-corrected and headed for the bigs. Your mileage may differ...less usual commute miles.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> While you <em>can</em> teach an old dog new tricks, it is both hard, and, perhaps, not entirely necessary. I found it interesting that, in one scene, a youngster is talking about Gus, and says, 'Computer?! He couldn't even turn on an electric typewriter!' and then, in the very next scene, we are in Gus' house, and there, sitting on the credenza, is an electric typewriter, which does look well-used. Next this: what qualifies as 'the cheap seats' varies considerably, depending on what it is you are trying to see. Lastly this: how hard is it to clog, if Justin Timberlake can pick it up in under two minutes?</span><br /><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-71209059419803826182012-09-07T21:43:00.001-07:002012-09-07T21:43:35.030-07:00Cinema Babble: Not A Job For The Faint Of Heart...Or Body.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The &nbsp;Flick:</strong> Premium Rush</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Gordon-Levitt's Willee, a bike messenger extraordinaire, &nbsp;is asked by the roomate of his gal pal (Ramirez) to deliver an envelope to Chinatown. In 90 minutes. A creep with anger/impulse issues, (Shannon), is apparently trying to stop this from happening. The entire story is told in a series of flashbacks, rapid recalculations of possible outcomes and stomach-churning-literally-&nbsp; wind-sheer sharp action sequences that will leave you wrung out and begging for mercy- and maybe a massage and an aspirin-by the end of the film.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.29 pengies out of 5. The stunning action scenes- which are the foundation of this plotline- are almost crippling in their extreme manipulation of time and motion. While this was certainly an exciting movie, it was also very, very, very improbable. Very. The major idea upon which this plot hinges is as paper-thin and needlessly complex as an old 007 movie or a Rube Goldberg infernal device. Sheesh, gimme the job. I can get it done in about 5 seconds and no one gets beaten, kicked, run over, thumped repeatedly, thrown from a moving vehicle or loses a tooth. But then, that would be a short movie, wouldn't it? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> I was never meant to be a bike courier. Don't look good in the second-skin shorts, can't dispense with brakes, can't find my way around my own naybe, let alone NYC. And, too, thump the melon 10-15 times and I am totally out of the action.&nbsp;Seriously. &nbsp;Lastly this: in what weird alternate universe can an out-of-shape cop outrun/keep pace with/be able to run back to his cop car and catch up with a guy on a bike? Without brakes.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-68894438946169106472012-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:002012-09-07T21:20:01.910-07:00Cinema Babble: This Is Your Marriage On Automatic.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Hope Springs</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carrel, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Kay and Arnold are a couple who have already raised their kids but are not yet ready for retirement. But they- especially Kay- <em>is</em> ready for <em>something.</em> Their life together has become one great slide into a stylised kabuki: filled with rituals and the barest amount of actual interaction and physical contact. When Kay learns about a couples' therapist in Maine, (Steve Carrel, in a muted, but so graceful performance),who offers a week-long intensive workshop, she realises that this, <em>this now</em>, is what she needs. What they both need. Problem is, Arnold doesn't see anything wrong with the way things are going at present. Now what? Well, if you've seen the trailer, you know that Kay is going, no matter what; but she truly does wish Arnold would go, too. So, reluctantly, angrily, fussily, spluttering off into stoic silence- he does. But you can't make him like it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.56 pengies out of 5. First of all, this movie is marketed as a comedy. It is not. Are there funny moments? Yup. But most of the attention-grabbing scenes are anything but funny. These are two actors who bring an authenticity to their performances: Jones' Arnold, with his saddle-leather, lived-in face seems the&nbsp; average stuck-in-a-rut middle class businessman of a certain age. And then, his eyes flicker and you see usually-masked emotions: love, fear, anger, frustration, self-doubt. Streep's Kay owns the tiny gesture or moue that speaks volumes and makes you move forward in your seat.&nbsp;It is almost as &nbsp;if each of these gifted&nbsp; peeps are about to involve <em>you</em> in what is going on behind their stiff expressions and squelched emotions. Carrel, too, contributes a finely crafted performance that is far more challenging, I think, than his broader charactisations, because of the exquisite skill required. So, why not more pengies? Editing. We both felt that the movie could have ended five different times.&nbsp; This is not a good feeling, once you have invested so heavily in the characters. Tune-up, please! Your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Apparently Arnold-despite his many problems- doesn't have to worry about cholesterol: eggs and bacon. Every. Single. Morning. Then this: I will never look at corgies in quite the same way again. Thanks, Carol ('I can only handle three! Three is my limit'). Thanks, Arnold ('Yeah. Carol. With the corgies.'). Lastly this: love is often hard work, but always worth the labor to keep it green and growing.&nbsp; Can I get an amen?</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-50615688262323439302012-09-07T20:48:00.001-07:002012-09-07T20:48:51.773-07:00Biblio Babble: Our Lady Of The Ladle Rides Again. Sorta.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Book:</strong> Dearie</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Bob Spitz</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Julia McWilliams Child's 'remarkable life', told from the viewpoint of a writer who admits he always had a crush on her. Julia- an indifferent student, a self-described 'social butterfly', one-time clerk (registry manager, if you please) for the OSS, and, finally, arguably the most original and authoritative culinary voice in America, was a mass of contradictions. But she was never boring. Perfectionistic, bossy (a true Leo), Julia started as a non-cook and evolved into an authentic antidote for the TV dinner, the can-opener cookery movement and the emphasis on staying <em>out</em> of the kitchen as much as possible. Along the way, she codified French cooking in a way that anyone-<em>ANY</em>one-could understand. But, if you&nbsp; think of Julia only as embodied&nbsp; by Dan Ackroyd's woobly-tippy-toed voiced&nbsp;on SNL-which, BTW, she adored, and made friends watch when they visited- you are rather missing the point. Once Julia found her niche-in teaching, writing and especially on that newfangled invention the television-she set about kicking down the obstacles and stereotypes of what people wanted to see, how people wanted to cook and how they wanted to both entertain and be entertained. Two weeks ago was Julia's 100th birthday, and what more fitting tribute than a brand new books all about the grand dame of cuisine media?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.71 pengies out of 5. This was a behemoth of a book. Agreed, she had almost 92 years of living an extraordinarily populated life to relate...but, please, let's do some editing. I don't think we need to hear 15 times that she loved men her whole life and was constantly on the look-out for a 'real he man'. Also, I confess to becoming depressed - as Julia surely was- by the last few chapters' thumping litany of deaths of those near and dear. I get it. Truly. I do! Now stop that, right now. I did so enjoy the book, and, if you think you really knew pretty much everything about Julia (I have read about 5-6 books on the subject, including the excellent <em>My Life In France</em>, so thought that I did), get ready for some surprises. And, not all of them will be pleasant. Such is her remarkable life. As always, your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> First of all, for all her seeming natural personna on the small screen, every single detail- including where utensils, ingredients and comments were to be placed-was mapped out in advance in excruciating detail. Next- and this I learned the hard way (bitter experience, mostly)- let's hear it for &nbsp;Julia's&nbsp;# 1&nbsp;tip for successful cooking: <em>read the recipe through all the way to the end first</em>! Would have saved me some really...interesting results. And, having been ignorant of <em>that </em>&nbsp;tip, I should definitely have&nbsp; gotten hold of tip #2: <em>never apologise</em>. Lastly this: Julia despised Meryl Streep because of the actress's stance on&nbsp; Alar on apples. Kind of ironic when you think about it. Kind of mean-spirited, when you think about it again. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Notable Quotable:</strong> 'Remember, if you are alone in the kitchen, no problem,' said when she dropped a roasted chicken on the floor.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-27582033073644255232012-09-02T15:35:00.002-07:002012-09-02T15:35:52.257-07:00Cinema Babble: Well, really, who doesn't<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick:</strong> Jiro Dreams of Sushi</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> This doc highlights 85 year old Jiro Ono, who operates arguably one of the finest sushiya in Tokyo. After looking at his past, we&nbsp; get to see his relationship with his son and heir, Yoshikazu. We are introduced to those chefs who have been influenced by him, inspired by him, and even felt driven from &nbsp;the business entirely, based on their experiences with this perfectionist. Unlike most celebrated Western chef-personalities, Jiro is a quiet- not a publicity-seeking-&nbsp;man who holds everyone who works with him to excruciating standards. Standards from which he does not exempt himself. Whether it is the detail of using the wrong shoyu or spending too much for the fish, no detail goes unnoticed. And there is a price to be paid for this level of perfection. Don't believe me? Check out this movie.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 3.98 pengies out of 4. It absolutely drove me full goose looney that the captioning was white on white background, which made it, for large lengths of time, &nbsp;very difficult to make out. Jiro and company are not exactly cut from the Jim Carrey school of profound facial expressionism, so this made the job of following &nbsp;the discussions pretty challenging. Your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Don't tick off&nbsp;a man who is tremndously talented with&nbsp; large knives. Also this: if, when it is right, you just know it...so, too, when it is <em>wrong</em>, you know that , too. Lastly this: ten points to Griffendor if you can name Jiro's <em>other</em> son. And, yes, there is one.</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-55053564642494374952012-08-12T17:46:00.000-07:002012-08-12T17:46:08.237-07:00Cinema Babble: Not Jason. Not Bourne. Not Bad.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Flick</strong>: The Bourne Legacy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Peeps:</strong> Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Scott Glenn, Stacy Keach, Matt Damon's photo, Edward Norton, etc, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> In one sentence? 'There was never just one.' Told in a series of inter-slashing scenes that ricochet between the past and the present-and even uses scenes from the <em>last</em> Bourne installment- this is the story behind the story. Jason Bourne was not a one-off. But, there is a taddy bit of a blast from the past in the very first scene: a man is seen floating, spread-eagled, in the water, (an exact duplicate of a scene opening both the original book on Bourne and the first movie). This time around, we focus in on super-strong and -strategic loner, Aaron Cross (Renner), how he came to be part of the mysterious Outcomes program and also, what all of this has to do with a series of inexplicable-and violent- events in disparate parts of the globe. Weisz' Dr. Marta Shearing is another piece of the puzzle, and witnesses a terrifying shoot 'em up, barely escaping with her life. And, then, things get <em>really</em> chaotic. Someone, somewhere (my money is on DC), pushes fast-forward and the game is afoot. But what, exactly, is the game? What are the stakes? And why are all these people such terrible drivers?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.78 pengies out of 5. A worthy successor to the Jason Bourne stories/films, this tale has both roots in the past and growth in its future. Renner goes from zero to ninety, emotionally, in the space of a single conversation. The support cast is well chosen- but I would have wished for an actress as doughty as Weisz is, to have been allowed to show a little more gumption earlier on in the movie, vice saving it till the last quarter of the film. Your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> If a two-person team shows up at your door unexpectedly, keep your eye on <em>both</em>. Also this: wolves are not simply doggies in the wild. Forget this at your own peril. Lastly this: apparently, no matter where you live, work, eat, shop, escape, no matter how off the grid you think you are, there are literally TONS of cameras/satellites/eavesdropping and filming devices ready to be re-tasked to reveal your every freckle,&nbsp;grimace &nbsp;and syllable. AKA: the <em>Person of Interest</em> plot is real, man!</span>Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425670208768048373.post-50405246938386492972012-08-09T10:45:00.001-07:002012-08-09T10:45:13.664-07:00Biblio Babble: The Non-Fiction Book You Wish Was Fiction<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Read:</strong> Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Writer:</strong> Katherine Boo</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Dealio:</strong> Set smack up against the incredible beauty and modernism of Mumbai Airport, and flanked by high-rise hotels of unimaginable luxury is Annawadi, a makeshift slum (undercity, in local terms),&nbsp; populated by people who feel privileged to have pulled themselves up to this&nbsp;crown jewel of undercities. Alternately dedicating &nbsp;long, hard hours goudging&nbsp;out a living from the&nbsp;trash and&nbsp;cast-offs of the airport and hotels located <em>just there</em>,&nbsp;and trying to work some sort of a deal that will catapault them, effortlessly, into the high life, these people are full of life, hopes and mordant reality. And Boo brings them to us in an almost motion-picture&nbsp; immediacy. As the citizens of Annawaddy watch a ticking clock intent on the distruction of their slum, they also spin dreams and hopes and plans that see them moving up, and eventually, away. Abdul is a &nbsp;teenager of few words, but many ambitions, seeing a future of success, built upon his entrepreneurial efforts with trash. Meanwhile, Asha, a woman who yearns to be a voice, a representative, but more than that, a real power-broker in Annawadi, operates behind the scenes of every major event in the undercity, to cement her role as 'the ultimate fixer'. At turns amusing and horrifying, we open the tale with a woman dousing herself with gas and setting herself on fire. Why? In order to embroil neighbors she perceives&nbsp;as more affluent, in the justice systems which may provide some financial relief to her and her family. The events begin to unspool at a hectic rate, interspliced with peeks at the justice system, the pay-offs ('facilitation fees') that bankrupt families, and the yearning of all to live a better life. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The Grading Session:</strong> 4.89 pengies out of 5. This was a very difficult book to read-several times, I put it aside to read other, more lightweight ones- because the scenes, all very vividly recounted, made me feel, at once, scalded by their violence, and ashamed of myself for my petty complaints about&nbsp; my day-to-day inconveniences. However, it was a book that was also hard to put down. Boo spent over three years living in and around Annawadi, researching the book, getting to know the&nbsp; undercity dwellers and their struggles and victories, as well as the unspeakable, grinding tragedies that were a part of <em>their</em> everyday world. If you are looking for a book with a great, uplifting finale...pass this one on by. But do so at your own peril. You will miss a hell of a story. Your mileage may differ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Lessons Learned:</strong> Wealth is a relative term. For those who live in the undercities, it means having an actual wall between you and your neighbors. Having the money to get medical care. Being able to go to school. Not worrying that you will be unable to keep rats out of your kids' cribs and having water that will not kill them, if they survive the infected bites. It really does not resemble anything you may have seen on <em>My Super Sweet Sixteen</em>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">And, lastly, if superhuman effort were enough, several major players in this story would be wildly successful and set for several lifetimes. Unfortunately, it is not.</span><br /><br />Soozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710327810282228798noreply@blogger.com0